Burst drone
The burst drone was the basic scout unit of the Empire of the Rising Sun during the third iteration of the Third World War and The Uprising. It is a highly versatile, dragonfly-like machine that can fly rather quickly and can be used to scout out terrain before engaging a larger number of troops. It can also detect disguised or stealthed units. Background It is a well-known fact that the Empire built their war machine off of the Allies and Soviet's shoulders. When Imperial generals saw the efficiency of Allied Attack Dogs and Soviet War Bears, they immediatly decided that the Empire should have its own animal combat companion. Extensive trials were undertaken to decide which one of Japan's native species would fill this symbolic, yet gruesome role. Out of all of the different species, none possessed the right amount of combined strength, stamina, intelligence, and obedience it would take to be effective wartime scouts. Not even cybernetic implants helped matters. However, all this changed when a team of scientists from Tenzai Robotics first unvieled their solution: To not use an animal at all. And thus, the concept of the Burst Drone was introduced to the Emipre. Resembling a dragonfly, a species very prominant in mainland Japan, the Burst Drone would not only save millions of yen in training programs, but also serve as the world's first flying, anti-vehicle scout, an area where no dog or bear had any claim to. On sunny days, the drone can fly for indefinite periods of time thanks to the solar panels on its wings. The batterty on its back can last 14 hours without charging, making nighttime not a problem. Its large, cybernetic eyes makes up for its lack of a sence of smell by being powerful enough to see right through any enemy disguise. Finally, it's small size makes it far more stealthy than any combat animal can hope to be. Abilities Assessment Pros * Flies, unlike other scouts * Can slow enemy units down by attaching itself to them * Can self-destruct, causing damage to nearby units * Faster than Attack Dogs and War Bears * Affected by the Honorable Discharge upgrade, unlike other Imperial infantry * Detects stealth Cons * The most expensive scout in the game with the longest build time * Vulnerable to anti-air * Can't attack infantry like War Bears and Attack Dogs In-game The burst drone has the ability to attach itself to other vehicles or aircraft. This will slow the host vehicle down and also allow the Empire to scout enemy bases on their backs. Alternatively, they can also self-destruct, damaging the host vehicle as well as surrounding vehicles, making it useful when used in swarms. Since it is extremely quick, other units may not be able to destroy it before it attaches to a vehicle. For example, a few drones could easily overwhelm the Allied Athena cannon. In order to remove the Burst Drone from a vehicle or aircraft, it will have to be brought to a Soviet Crusher Crane, Allied Airbase, Seaport or Armor Facility, or the Empire of the Rising Sun's Imperial Docks or Mecha Bay. The drones are then removed when the factory drones repair the host unit. Light infantry units can remove them too. They should always be approached with extreme caution. The best way to get rid of the drones is to set anti-air defenses against them. Since their armour is minimal, they can be destroyed easily. Trivia *Burst drones could detect spies. This is strange since spies copy the physical appearance of the infantry and do not use devices like those located on a Mirage Tank. *The burst drone will bleed if shot by gunfire, possibly because it is classified as infantry since it is produced from the Instant dojo. *When ordered to self-destruct, they will emit a sound that resembles "さよなら" (sayonara), which means "goodbye" or "farewell" in Japanese. *In real life, a similar device was developed in the 1970s by the CIA a miniaturized dragonfly-looking UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) and listening device "Insectothopter". Gallery RA3_Sunburst_Drone_Concept_Art_1.jpg|Concept art RA3_Sunburst_Drone_Concept_Art_2.jpg|Concept art Burst drone intro.png|Cinematic render RA3_Burst_Drone_Concept_Art_2.jpg|Render Category:Red Alert 3 Infantry Category:Red Alert 3 Imperial Arsenal Category:Detectors